ChamberPress ReleaseCommunity

Perry Chamber Launches the 2025 July 4th Fireworks Drive
Big Boom Bracket Battle Sweet-as-Pie 16 Announced
 
 
Perry, March 4, 2025 – The Perry Chamber of Commerce received 60 nominations from the community for the Big Boom Bracket Battle, a bracket-style contest matching up community members for the sake of fundraising for Perry’s 4th of July fireworks show. Of those nominated, 33 said ‘yes’ to the challenge, willing to get a pie in the face if they win. The Elimination Round took place on Facebook this past week, receiving a total of 6,092 votes between all contestants. The top sixteen contenders now move on to the Sweet-as-Pie 16 bracket for this March Madness themed fundraiser for Perry’s 4th of July fireworks drive.
 
“We are so pleased with the continued enthusiasm from the community,” says Lynsi Pasutti, Executive Director of the Perry Chamber of Commerce, “and it is so fun to see some new faces not only in the Elimination Round, but especially in the actual bracket! Six out of the sixteen have made it into the bracket before, and only one other has been a part of previous elimination rounds. The rest are completely new, so it just goes to show how the community has embraced the initiative with an even wider audience!”
 
Now with the Elimination Round complete, the fundraising portion of the initiative will take place with four weeks of ‘head-to-head’ contests. Placement within the Sweet-as-Pie 16 bracket has been determined from the rankings of the Elimination Round (1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15, and so on).
 
2025 Big Boom Bracket Battle Sweet-as-Pie 16 match-ups:

  1. JP Hulgan, Hulgan Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric vs. (16) Jackson VanKirk, Progressive Foundry
  2. Ashlee McIlhon, Misfits & More vs. (15) Sarah Reimers, Perry Booster Club
  3. Chief Grason Hill, Perry Fire Department vs. (14) Becky Halling, City of Perry Parks & Recreation Department
  4. Michael Peterson, City of Perry Parks & Recreation Department vs. (13) Rosa Gonzalez, ISU Extension & Outreach
  5. Michael Pentico, Perry Post Office vs. (12) Eddie Diaz, Perry DMACC VanKirk Career Academy
  6. Principal Ned Menke, Perry Middle School vs. (11) Quin Mahler-Moreno, Perry High School
  7. Misty Conrad, Perry Water Works vs. (10) Lupita Chavez-Alarcon, Dallas County Hospital
  8. Paige Scheib, Edward Jones vs. (9) Karma Meraz, Karma Entertainment
Advancement in the bracket will be determined by donations from the community, accepted online, by mail, and at various locations in town. The ultimate winner will be rewarded with a pie in their face and a traveling trophy at the end of the contest.
 
“We have a really nice variety of participants this year,” adds Pasutti, “and a few interesting match-ups right off the bat! We have business folks from across a variety of industries and also several from the Perry Community School District, including a student and a principal. It will be interesting to see who makes it to the next round, because it is anyone’s game at this point!”
 
The goal of the Big Boom Bracket Battle is to kick off the annual fundraising efforts for Perry’s 4th of July fireworks show, all while getting the community involved for a fun activity during the month of March. Last year’s initiative raised more than $6,000 and the concept of ‘every little bit counts’ will help chip away at the total fundraising goal of $18,000.
 
Donations for this round of the contest will be accepted now through Tuesday, March 11th at 12pm and the Explosive 8 will begin that same day. Each of the rounds will follow the same pattern until the contest is complete. The Firecracker 4 will be announced Tuesday, March 18th and the Grand Finale Duo will be announced on Tuesday, March 25th for the final showdown.
 
This year’s fireworks drive will run through the Perry Chamber Foundation on a new platform: www.GiveButter.com/Perry-Chamber-Foundation with real-time tracking of each round (www.GiveButter.com/2025BBBB16). In-person donations will be collected at the McCreary Center (1800 Pattee Street) and donations may also be delivered to the Perry Chamber of Commerce at 1124 Willis Avenue or mailed to PO Box 472, Perry, IA 50220.
 
The Chamber wishes to thank all those that participated in the Elimination Round, including those that submitted nominations, those that accepted nominations with the chance of getting a pie in the face, and those that voted.
 
For more information and to follow along with the progress of the Big Boom Bracket Battle, visit www.PerryIAChamber.org/Foundation or the Perry Chamber’s Facebook page.  Questions can be directed to the Perry Chamber at info@PerryIAChamber.org or (515) 465-4601.
 
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About the Perry Chamber of Commerce
The Perry Chamber of Commerce serves as the central business organization in Perry, with the mission of being an advocate to its membership by promoting and encouraging growth in the community, business, and tourism. As a non-profit organization, the Perry Chamber hosts a number of community events including the 4th of July Celebration and leading the fundraising efforts for the annual fireworks display.
 
About the Perry Chamber of Commerce Foundation
The Perry Chamber of Commerce Foundation is a charitable organization with the mission of facilitating growth within the Perry, IA Community, by supporting efforts of the Perry Chamber of Commerce, including the 4th of July fireworks drive, New Teacher Housing Assistance program, and the Business Modernization & Protection grant program.

2025 Big Boom Bracket Battle Sweet-as-Pie 16 Bracket